Research, clinical care, and public health interventions related to emerging infections and biodefense raise critically important ethical, legal, and social issues. The Policy, Ethics and Law (PEL) Core will examine such issues under the direction of a multi-disciplinary Coordinating Committee drawn from the participating universities, inviting input from other collaborating investigators and outside experts. This PEL core will address the following specific aims: 1. To identify and address issues that arise in conducting research on emerging infections and for biodefense 2. To assist the SERCEB steering committee in identifying and managing dual-use research (that can be foreseeably misused) 3. To identify and address issues encountered in developing promising vaccines, drug candidates, and technologies into prevention or treatment interventions for emerging infections and for biodefense; 4. aw. To serve as an educational and consultative resource to SERCEB To collaborate with other Regional Centers of Excellence in addressing issues of policy, ethics, and These aims will be met by advising the SERCEB steering committee, by commissioning analysis by core members and outside experts, by developing educational resources, and by engaging with policy discussions locally, nationally, and internationally.